I am the sun. I give off energy. radiant

My energy is transferred to Earth. radiant

I am phytoplankton. The prefix phyto means plant. Plankton is any organism that floats or drifts in fresh or salt water.

chemical I take the radiant energy from the sun and transform it into

Photo means light and synthesis means putting together. This transformation of energy occurs during the process of photosynthesis. Photo means light and synthesis means putting together.

Photosynthesis is the process by which I make my own food.

Auto means self and troph means to nourish. Because I make my own food I am called an autotroph. Auto means self and troph means to nourish.

photo photo photo photo Sometimes I am called a photoautotroph. Do you remember what means? photo photo photo photo

Photo Photo Photo means light. So, I am able to make my own food by using light energy.

Duh!! In order to make my own food, I require several materials. Sunlight from the

Duh!! Water from the

? and nutrients from the

The nutrients come from the bottom of the ocean, possibly 10,000 feet below the surface! Nutrients result from the action of decomposers.

Nature provides the transport system through upwelling currents. But how do the nutrients get from the bottom to the surface?

Upwelling is the rising of deeper, colder waters to the surface through the action of wind.

I am also called a producer. Do you know why I am called a producer?

I am at the base of the food chain. I provide food for the consumers I am at the base of the food chain. I provide food for the consumers. Do you know an example of a consumer?

I am krill. I am called a consumer because I must get the energy I need to survive by eating other organisms.

I am on the second level of the food chain I am on the second level of the food chain. Because I only eat plants I am called a herbivore.

Unfortunately (for me), I provide food for many sea creatures.

Humpback!!!! Seal!!! Help!!! Squid!!! Small fish!!!!

These are also called consumers, but because they eat meat (me) they are called carnivores. That was close!!!

is also a source of food for small fish. Each of these creatures is also a food source for other carnivores that dwell in the sea! is also a source of food for small fish. The squid, for example,

Large fish are eaten by dolphins. The small fish are eaten by larger fish.

Dolphins are eaten by orcas.

Most sea carnivores have appetites for more than one type of ocean creature. Remember the small fish snacked on krill and squid.

A food web is a complex network of many overlapping food chains A food web is a complex network of many overlapping food chains. Let’s look at a typical ocean food web. Because of the diversity of appetites it is difficult to arrange these animals in a food chain. A food web provides a more realistic picture of what actually happens in an ecosystem.

The arrow points to the “eater”.

The answer to this question is more than hunger; it is to obtain energy to perform life activities such as growth and movement. At each level of the food web there is a transfer of energy. When studying food webs it is important to keep in mind why organisms eat.

The Sun!!!! Energy from the sun moves through all organisms on Earth via food webs! Do you remember where the original energy came from?

The activities that you perform, such as running, talking, and studying for science, also transform energy into heat that is released into the environment. Some of the energy that I obtain from the phytoplankton is transformed to heat energy as I drift in the water. Some of the energy in the phytoplankton was transformed into heat energy and released into the environment. The transfer of energy from organism to organism is not 100% efficient. At each level there is a “loss” of energy. When I, krill, eat, I do not get all the energy the phytoplankton received from the sun.

As a general rule, there is only a 10% transfer of energy from level to level. 90% has been transformed to heat and is unavailable to the next level. Because I have released some energy as heat, when I am eaten by small fish, the fish does not obtain 100% of my energy. Energy transfer can be represented visually on an energy pyramid. Let’s look at an energy pyramid.

As a general rule, 100 pounds of plankton can support 10 pounds of krill. 10 pounds of krill can support 1 pound of carnivore. Let’s look at the energy pyramid again.

Support Support Support Support Support 1 lb 10 lbs 100 lbs 1,000 lbs

Here is a test: If the average orca weighs 9,000 lbs, how much phytoplankton would it take to support the orca? 900,000,000 pounds!!!

For example,the humpback is more efficient at obtaining energy than the orca. Let’s look at another energy pyramid to see why. The closer an organism is to the producer level of a food web,the more efficient it is at obtaining energy.

Support 1,000 lbs 10,000 lbs Support 100,000 lbs

So, the 100,000 lbs of phytoplankon that only supported 1 lb of orca will support 1,000 lbs of humpback.

I have enjoyed visiting with you about ocean food webs I have enjoyed visiting with you about ocean food webs. I hope you had fun, too!!! I guess I must return to the ocean now.

Oh no!!!! Help!!!!!

The End!